Between the Lies
by DeliriousMistakes
Summary: Seven years after they were written, Alice finds letters in her attic written by people named Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. However, there is no Edward in her family, and Chief Swan never even had a daughter ... right? Whoever they are, she wants to get to the bottom of it. Who are these people, and why is no one telling her about them? AH, AU, rated M for language & slightly dark
1. PROLOGUE

Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

**2013**

The cool breeze was a refreshing break from the constant rain and fog that had shrouded Forks for the past couple of weeks. There was no sun, but actual sunshine would've been too much to ask for, anyway. The lack of rain was good enough, though, for today at least. It made the trip a bit easier.

A sudden gust of wind dislodged the pale pink and white buds on the blooming apple tree, and the petals drifted down onto the lone couple kneeling in front of the two side by side graves. The woman covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stifle her sobs, as she read the inscriptions.

**...**

_Isabella Marie Swan_

_September 13, 1989_

_to_

_December 24, 2006_

_Beloved Daughter and Loving Girlfriend_

**...**

_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_

_June 20, 1989_

_to_

_December 26, 2006_

_Beloved Son and Loving Brother and Boyfriend_

**...**

The man tried to comfort the woman, holding her close to him. "It's okay, Alice. You can let it out."

That was the only encouragement she needed before breaking down into strangled sobs, choking out incoherent apologies. Not that she even knew what she was apologizing for. Perhaps it was for not knowing they even existed until recently. Or maybe it was because she couldn't believe how terribly their lives ended.

But, momentarily, she forgot that the two people that lay in the ground before her couldn't hear her, and never would be able to.

It was too late.

She was much too late.

* * *

The prologue was originally written by my close friend Sonia Raziella, who encouraged me to write this story. In her words: "Post the fucking thing, would you? You won't talk to anyone about it, so why not write a slightly exaggerated, romantic drama about it?"

It was very inspirational.


	2. 1: 2013 - Alice

Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

**APRIL 4, 2013**

"Alice, wait up!"

I stop in my tracks, rolling my eyes. After a few seconds, a hand grabs my shoulder and spins me around. I tilt my head, smirking, at Jasper's panting form.

"What is it?" I ask sweetly.

He looks up at me, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing, nothing," he mutters, a small smile on his face. He isn't giving in.

"Okay then. I'm leaving." I don't even get a chance to turn around before he pulls me into a hug. My backpack falls to the sidewalk as I hug him back, smiling as I rest my head against his chest.

"Happy birthday, Alice," he says into my hair.

"SMILE!"

We turn around, startled, just as a white flash goes off. Kate grins at us from behind her camera. "That was _perfecto_, chicos," she says as she glances at the picture she had taken.

I shake my head and turn to Garrett, who is a few feet behind her. "Really Garrett? How could you let her do that?"

He holds up his hands in defense as he comes up to us. "Not my fault, Ally. I have no say in what she does, remember?"

We start laughing, remembering what happened when Garrett had tried to tell Kate not to take any more pictures of them when they went to Disneyland, saying that the couple hundred she had already taken were more than enough.

She wouldn't talk to him for a week after that, even installing a mini electric fence around her half of their shared apartment.

"So what are we doing for your birthday?" Kate asks. "Damn, you're finally 17, girl! Growing up so fast!" She wipes a nonexistent tear of pride from her face. She's a senior, making her act super touchy whenever age was concerned. In reality, Jasper and I are juniors, so we aren't that much younger than her and Garrett.

"I don't know," I say. Kate cuts me off before I can continue.

"You don't know? Hold up, hold up, hold the fuck up. _Alice Cullen doesn't know what she's doing for her birthday?!_"

"Kate, chill," I say, laughing as I pick up my backpack. "My parents are supposed to have a chat with me when we get home."

"About what?" Garrett asks, curious. We start walking to school.

"No idea."

**-:xoxo:-**

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" I drop my backpack near the staircase, intending on heading upstairs to finish my homework as soon as possible after the 'chat'.

"We're in the living room, honey!"

I sigh. Knowing my mom, Dad is in the living room while she is in the kitchen.

And I'm right; Mom enters the living room just as I do, a plate of brownies in her hands. "How was school today, dear?" she asks, setting the plate down on the center table. She pats the seat across from her as she sits down next to Dad.

I take a brownie from the plate before sitting. "It was fine, Mom." I glance from her to Dad. "So what do you guys want to talk to me about?"

They look at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. Dad clears his throat. "Well, Alice, today's your birthday, and Mom and I have decided that you've been really responsible lately."

I nod, not sure where this is going yet.

"So we got you a present," he says, smiling.

"Okay . . . what is it?"

"But you have to promise us one thing," he continues, glancing at Mom.

I start to get an idea of what my present could be. I had just gotten my provisional driver's license a week ago. "Sure, anything!"

For a second, I don't think they hear me because they continue to have a silent conversation. They're worried about something, that's for sure.

But a few seconds later, they both look back to me, no evidence of their worry on their faces. "We'll tell you after we show you," Mom says. "Come on, let's go out to the back."

I try to hide my excitement as we head to the back garage, which is usually used for storage purposes. It's the only place used almost exclusively for storage other than the attic, but the attic is off-limits.

I still don't know why, after all these years.

Mom stops me before we step into the garage. "Close your eyes, and I'll lead you in, okay?"

I do as instructed, shutting my eyes tightly and holding out my hand. I feel her take it gently, and I carefully step down the few stairs that lead to the garage door.

Once we walk a few feet inside, my excitement starts bubbling to the surface and an uncontrollable grin makes it's way onto my face. Mom stops walking then, and I almost run into her.

"Okay Alice . . . open your eyes." She drops my hand.

I open them, blinking at the sudden light, and gasp. "Oh. My. God."

They got it. They got exactly what I'd wanted. I can't believe it.

I hesitantly stepped forward, brushing my fingers over the bright yellow of the Porsche. "Oh my god . . . thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"

I start jumping up and down and turn back, first hugging Mom and then Dad. Then I run back to the car, checking over every detail. Even the number plate is personalized, if a bit subtle: A040413.

Dad chuckles at my enthusiasm. "Well, Alice, let's get back inside so we can tell you the conditions."

**-:xoxo:-**

"No driving past 10 on weekdays," says Dad.

"And no eating food in the car," adds Mom.

"Don't text while driving."

"Don't call while driving."

"Unless you're using Bluetooth."

"And no going _anywhere_ without telling us first."

"_Asking_, not _telling_."

"Don't go out of Forks without asking us."

"And don't go beyond Port Angeles without one of us with you."

"You'll be able to give rides to your friends, but don't stay out past 11 on the weekends."

"Which, before you ask, includes Friday."

"No giving rides to strangers."

"No getting rides from strangers if your car breaks down."

"Definitely no going out of state."

"And don't get us started on driving to Canada―"

"Mom, Dad, I think I get it," I interrupt. They're starting to scare me with their increasingly specific rules.

"We just want you to be safe, honey," Mom says, her smile forced. Her voice cracks on _safe_.

I sigh. "It's okay, I'll stay safe. Don't worry about me." I stand up, stretching slightly. "Is that it, then?"

Mom nods, and Dad tosses me the keys. "Have fun, sport," he says, smiling.

I grin widely and run to the garage. But I still hear what they say before I leave.

"Carlisle, are you sure about this?" Mom's voice betrays her anxiety, even while she tries to remain calm. "She just turned 17."

Dad smiles sadly at her. "Esme, dear, your worrying too much. What happened then . . . none of us could control."

"But we got him the car on his birthday, too―"

"Which is what we did with Emmett as well. Alice is responsible; she won't get into any trouble, and she _definitely_ won't get into anything like _that_. This isn't even related to _that_."

Mom sighs. "I guess I am overreacting . . . she just reminds me so much of him though."

**-:xoxo:-**

I text Jasper as fast as I can, my fingers flying over the screen. A minute later, the front door of his house opens and he steps out. He jogs to my car. I open the door from inside and hear his low whistle as he slides into the seat.

He kisses me lightly on the cheek before he closes the car door. "Nice ride," he comments. "So where are you taking me?"

I grin mischievously. "You'll just have to see, won't you?"

**-:xoxo:-**

"Damn it. My parents are going to kill me."

"Calm down, Alice. It'll be fine; they'll understand."

"No, you don't get it!" My eyes tear up as I stare straight ahead. "They'll think I'm just making up excuses. I mean seriously, who the hell believes the 'too much traffic' excuse?"

Jasper sighs, entwining our hands and squeezing mine gently. "Do you want me to be there when you tell them?"

I shake my head. "No, it's fine. They'll be even madder and jump to conclusions if they find out I've been with you. I texted them that I was going to go to the mall with Kate, not dinner with you."

He nods, understanding. He knows how my parents are about dinner dates. They usually supervise from a few tables away, and even though they won't intrude, it's just as annoying every time.

I _was_ okay with that, initially. But then it got really irritating, and so Kate and I devised a plan to avoid it: if Jasper and I ever want to go have dinner, I tell my parents I'm going shopping with Kate. They never mind Kate, since she was my best friend since childhood, but they're always wary about Jasper. Of course, they think he's an amazing guy, but I'm still their 'little baby'.

Jasper, at first, was reluctant. He didn't, and still doesn't, like the idea of tricking my parents like that. But eventually, I got him to warm up a little to it, and now he tells his parents he's over at Garrett's playing video games.

Another glance at the clock reminds me of how screwed I am.

10:03 PM.

If it had been a Friday, I would still be okay. But it's only Thursday, and their rules were crystal clear in my head.

_No driving past 10 on weekdays._

I can't lose my car. My precious car.

**-:xoxo:-**

I carefully open the front door. I know it's pointless; it's not like they won't notice me slip inside. But I can't help myself as I tiptoe across the living room toward the staircase.

"Mary Alice Cullen."

I stiffen at the sound of Mom's voice. She sounds _mad_.

Turning around slowly, I find her at the dining room table, which is still set up with a few plates and a cake.

Oh god, a cake.

"Mom, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot―"

"Alice, honey," Dad says, walking into the dining room and taking a seat next to Mom. "It's 10:43."

I grimace. "I know, Dad, and I'm sorry, but Kate and I lost track of time . . . and there was just so much traffic . . . "

Mom puts up a hand, stopping me. "Hand over the keys." She holds out her hand.

My eyes widen. "What? You're taking it away?!"

She stays fixed in her position, arm outstretched, waiting for the keys. I look to Dad. "Dad, please, you can't do this―"

"Actually, Alice, we can. We told you the conditions, and you didn't follow through on your part." He looks at me sadly. "Just give back the keys, Alice. We won't return the car, but you won't be driving it, either."

I stand still, frozen to my spot. They can't do this. I _just_ got my car, and they were saying that I couldn't drive it? Couldn't they just ground me for a month?

Mom clears her throat. "The keys, Alice."

I snap. "Fine!" I grab the keys from my purse and throw them at the table. "Take them!"

I turn around, running toward the staircase. I hear Dad stand up from the table. "Alice, honey, wait―"

"Leave me alone!" I scream. I grab my backpack from the foot of the staircase and run up the stairs, not looking back. I hear Mom sniffling downstairs, but I ignore it in my frustration.

"Alice, come back here right now!" Dad yells behind me. But he doesn't follow me up.

Reaching the second floor, I glance around. I can't go to my room, because if they really want to get me out of there, they know how to pick the lock. It's the same problem with all of the other rooms, except that they'll have to figure out which room I'm in if I'm not in my own.

I hear footsteps climbing up the stairs, and I spur into action without thinking. I race to my room, lock the door from the inside, and close it before sprinting to the other end of the hallway and stepping into a random room. I lock the door.

The footsteps head to my room, and I hear the person try to open the door. "Alice," Dad says. I freeze, barely breathing so I won't miss a thing. "Unlock the door."

I don't respond, obviously. He tries again, knocking on the door a few times. "Alice, please come out."

No response. I hear him sigh, defeated. "Come talk to us when you're ready, then." The footsteps approach the staircase and fade away as he heads downstairs.

I sigh in relief. I really don't want to be found right now.

Suddenly, a thought occurs to me: I have no idea where I am.

I turn around, slowly, and gasp.

There are countless boxes stacked up in towers, clustered in various corners of the room. There's a large object covered by thick sheet, and there are a few more boxes around that. There are a few cobwebs connecting the boxes to each other, but I try to ignore that fact as best as I can.

I'm in the attic. I'm in the fucking attic.

The _forbidden_ fucking attic.

This place is always off-limits, not just to me, but to everyone. Even Emmett, who is still as mischievous as he was when he was a teenager, respected this one rule.

_I should go. Maybe I'll just try to sneak back into my own room, and get out of here as soon as possible._

But it isn't everyday that I accidentally find myself in the attic. And besides, Mom and Dad took away my car. It's only fair that I get to explore the attic, right?

Setting my backpack on the floor, I walk slowly toward the large object, careful not to make any noise. I reach out, grab a fistful of the heavy material, and yank. The cover slides off, and I am stunned into silence.

It's a grand piano. It seems to be elegantly polished, as if the owner had just covered it up as soon as he bought it. The dark black color is a stark contrast against the milky white of the keys, and the contours of the piano seem more angular due to the lack of bright light in the attic.

I find myself running my fingers across the keys gently so as not to accidentally play a note.

"Wow," I breathe out. And truly, it is a breathtaking sight. A timeless grand piano surrounded by old boxes and cobwebs is, in a way, a mystical sight.

I frown. Why do Mom and Dad keep this piano hidden? Isn't that a little . . . redundant? I mean, the piano is beautiful, and I know that both of them played when they were younger. So why buy something like this just to hide it?

I take another step, intending to pull the bench out to take a seat, when I almost trip over a box. Gripping the piano for dear life, I catch my balance and look at the box. It's oddly placed, away from the other boxes.

Now that I think about it, the boxes around the piano are the weirdest. They're placed in random groups with no rhyme or reason to the arrangement. Some are groups of three, some two, and most of them are just placed next to each other in rows, surrounding the piano.

I kneel down, ignoring the dust, and try to open the box. It's taped shut, though, and I can't rip the tape off. Glancing around, I spot my backpack where it's still lying by the door. I get up, narrowly avoiding tripping again, and bring it back to the box with me. I find the house keys I still had in the small zip on the side, and tear through the tape with the key.

I set the key back down, not bothering to place it back in the zip and close my backpack, and open the flaps of the box.

At first, it seems like the box is just any other box, filled with letters all the way to the top. But the name catches my eye.

_Edward Cullen._

I furrow my eyebrows, confused. _Edward Cullen?_ I've never heard of an Edward Cullen in the family. I have an older brother, Emmett, and then there's his wife Rosalie who's technically a Cullen now, but their son is named Masen, not Edward.

I look at whom the letter is from, and once again frown.

_Bella Swan._

I know the Chief of Police in Forks, Chief Swan, but he doesn't have a daughter. His wife left him early on, but they never had any kids before they split. Who else is there with the last name Swan? And what are these letters doing in my house?

I hesitate before opening the envelope. Isn't it wrong to read someone else's mail? But curiosity takes hold and I open the envelope regardless.

I carefully pull out the letter, slightly worried that it might crumble to dust in my hands. I open the letter slowly along the defined creases, and read.

_Dear Edward,_

_I don't want any more excuses, okay? I'm just . . . done. I can't do this anymore._

_I know that it's probably not your fault. That, if I listen to you, you might just convince me that it was all Tanya. But I also know that I'm just gullible enough to believe you if you said that it was because you were being possessed by an ancient ghost or because of the alignment of the sun to Venus and how Saturn just passed by Jupiter in orbit._

_But don't think that I don't still love you, because I do. I don't care whether any of this was real or not to you, but it was real to me. All the times you kissed me, all the times you hugged me, all the times you held my hand . . . all the times you held me . . . I'll never forget them. Ever. Even if I wanted to . . . ._

_I love you, Edward, and I always will. I can't help it. But I just can't do this anymore . . . not after what you did._

_I'm sorry._

_Love,_

_Bella_

My eyes widen as I quickly reread the letter. These two people are in love!

I glance again at the box full of letters, and a small smile starts to form on my face.

I'm a sucker for love stories, but more importantly, _mysteries_. Now, with this box of letters just down the hall from my room, I'm sure that the fact that I just had my car taken back will be pushed to the back of my mind.

I'm almost giddy with excitement and a sense of thrill.

I'm grinning as I close the box and put it back where it was. I get up and cover the piano back up again as well, not wanting anyone to know that I have been here.

I grab my keys and pick up my backpack, slinging it over my shoulder, and cautiously step back outside after making sure no one is in the hallway.

Silently reaching my bedroom door, I quickly grasp the lock pick I keep attached to my keychain. I unlock my door, stepping inside, and after a few seconds of hesitation I decide to just lock it again. I still don't want to face either Dad or Mom again.

Throwing my backpack to the floor, I step up to my dressing table and take a look at myself.

My hair is messed up, the spiky hairdo having tamed down, and the bangs are falling into my eyes again.

My face is flushed, though whether it's from the excitement or moving around so much, I don't know.

And my eyes are glinting with the thrill of finding the first piece of what I'm sure will be one hell of an adventure.

* * *

Alright. I may or may not have to change the rating, but not quite yet (or at least I don't think . . . ).

And I don't know how many of you will ask how the hell I got this idea, since it is pretty fucked up, so I'm going to get this out of the way right now: this story is based loosely on true events. Obviously, the love aspect of it will be slightly exaggerated, but the Alice POVs are the closest to real life.

Also, the chapters will alternate between 2006 (the year Edward and Bella die) and the present, or 2013.


	3. 2: 2006 - Bella

Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

**OCTOBER 26, 2006**

I looked up when I heard the front door of Charlotte's house open. Charlotte came out, dropping her bag in front of the door, and struck a pose with her hands on her hips in the doorway.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Charlotte frowned as she looked down at herself. "Is this outfit _that_ bad? I thought I totally scored with this one―"

I smiled at her sudden panic. "That's not what I meant."

"Then explain!"

I sighed. "I don't get why you're all dressed up," I said. "Is there something important happening today that I don't know about?"

I had glanced down to check the time on my phone, and I looked back up when I heard her sharp intake of breath.

Charlotte's eyes were wide as saucers. "You don't _know_?"

"Know what?" I asked confusedly.

She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe this," she muttered to herself. Quickly closing the front door and grabbing her bag, she ran down to where I was standing and grasped my shoulders with both her hands.

"Charlotte, what the he―"

"Bella, are you being serious right now? Because it's not funny."

"Look, I have no idea what you're even _talking _about, so―"

Charlotte cut me off before I could fully get into the rant. "The new student is coming today!" she squealed, dropping her hands from my shoulders.

I tilted my head to the side. "New student?"

Charlotte sighed. "Of course you don't know, you're just a junior―"

"And you're just a senior, big difference," I countered. But she went on as if I had never interrupted.

"―You wouldn't know all this important stuff that relates to life yet." She nodded her head toward the road, indicating that we should start walking to Peter's. "But anyway, yes, there's a new kid enrolling at the school. He's going to be a junior though, which is a bit sad." She frowned.

I laughed. "But you're dating Peter!"

Her eyes widened. "It's not like that!" she defended. I shook my head, still laughing. "I just want to make a good impression. You know, represent the heart of Forks and all."

A fresh wave of laughter overtook me, and Charlotte gave me an irritated glance. But suddenly, a wicked smile started to form on her face, and my laughter died out.

"What are you thinking?" I asked cautiously. Charlotte was hard enough to keep up with even without her messed up ideas.

"He's going to be a junior," she repeated. "You're a junior."

"So?"

She paused, her gaze traveling over my body. She nodded, satisfied. "You look pretty good. I won't have to drag you back to my house for a makeover, I guess."

I huffed, irritated. Sure, maybe I wasn't all that fashion conscious, but I wasn't a failure. I knew what suited me. And I also knew that the main reason Charlotte approached me that first day of my freshman year was because I didn't look like a total slut.

"Why would I need a freaking makeover?"

Charlotte grinned at my lack of understanding. "He's a junior, you're a junior. And you're single."

I rolled my eyes, suddenly realizing where she was going with this. "Not going to happen, Char."

"Come on―"

"Uh-uh."

"But―"

"No."

"Can't you just try?" she muttered. I ignored her.

We were in front of Peter's house now, and since Charlotte was too busy pouting at the fact that I wasn't even going _try_ hooking up with the new student, I went up to ring the bell.

I hadn't even taken a few steps toward the door before the garage started opening. A black Audi reversed onto the driveway, and the window rolled down as Charlotte and I approached the car.

"Hello there, ladies," Peter called out.

"Hey," I said, grinning as I slid into the back seat.

Charlotte got into the passenger side and leaned over to give Peter a peck on the lips. "Hey, babe."

"Guess what?" I asked Peter as he reversed off the driveway and onto the street. He met my eyes in the rearview mirror, indicating that he was listening. "You're gonna have some competition for your girlfriend today."

The car shuddered to a stop in the middle of the road.

" . . . _What?_" Peter asked darkly. He glanced over to Charlotte, who had smacked her hand to her forehead.

"Peter, babe, she's just being Bella―"

"Who's she talking about?" Peter interrupted.

"The new guy that's enrolling today," Charlotte said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "And you can relax, 'cause I meant to hook Bella up with him."

Peter laughed, the tension disappearing form his face. "And she doesn't want to, does she?"

"Of course not," Charlotte said, crossing her arms over her chest. "She's such a joykill."

I rolled my eyes.

**-:xoxo:-**

I almost ran into the kid in front of me in the lunch line when someone tackled me into the wall.

"God, Charlotte, what the hell?" I dusted my shirt off; the walls here had just been repainted, and I didn't want any paint dust on my shirt right now.

"Bella, I think I'm going to _die_!" She was jumping up and down, a wide smile on her face.

"Should I call 911?" I asked sarcastically. She stomped jumping and punched me lightly in the arm.

"I'm being serious. Bella, Edward Cullen is the _hottest_ fucking thing, like . . . _ever_."

I looked at her with a perplexed expression. "Edward _who_?"

She seemed to have calmed down a little, and was able to speak more clearly. "Edward Cullen. He's the new guy I was talking about?"

I nodded, showing that I understood what she was talking about. The name _Cullen_ sounded familiar . . .

"Yeah, he sits next to me in English!" she gushed. I nodded absentmindedly as I paid for my lunch.

She continued talking while we sat down.

"Hey, Bella, are you listening?"

I snapped my attention back to her. "Yeah, what?"

Charlotte sighed in defeat, dropping her head into her hands. "You weren't listening, don't even try to cover it up." She lifted her head. "But anyways, I was _saying_ that he seems like a really nice guy. A _really_ attractive, nice guy. Those are real hard to come by."

"Mmhm," I mumbled, picking at my salad.

"And Bella?" She looked at me with a grin on her face.

"What?" I saw Angela and Jessica coming over, thankfully, so Charlotte would have to stop talking about Edward.

"I asked what other classes he has . . . and he'll be in your biology."

**-:xoxo:-**

I unceremoniously dropped my biology stuff onto my desk. Jessica always walked with me after lunch to our next classes, since our classes were right next to each other. But today, she had irritated the fuck outta me the whole way.

How?

She was talking about Edward Cullen the whole time.

They were in the same government class, and she managed to squeeze in a two-minute conversation with him before the bell rang at the end of class.

Apparently, his voice was 'to die for' and his eyes were 'breathtaking'.

And the sex hair. Jessica specifically told me not to forget the sex hair.

I was busy taking out the worksheets that were due today when someone behind me cleared his throat.

"Hey, Bella." I took a deep breath, composing my face, before turning around.

"Hey, Mike," I said, forcing a smile.

I didn't think Mike Newton was really a bad person; but then again, I thought everyone had some kind of heart in them. But he had a big ego, which came from making the football team, and was a total jerk when it came to girls.

"So how have you been?" he asked, leaning against my lab table. I controlled my grimace.

"Fine, you?"

He just nodded, glancing to the door for a second before turning back. I couldn't stop staring at his hair, and how unnaturally spiked up it was at the front. _You overdid it with the gel, Mike . . ._

"So do you want to go to homecoming with me?"

I blinked a few times, making sure he was serious. Did he honestly think that just outright asking me two days before homecoming was going to get him a date? But he seemed serious, since he was giving me what he thought was a seductive smirk.

I smiled at him brightly. His smirk grew wider, and he was about to say something when I gave him my answer.

"No."

He froze. I guess he was unable to comprehend that any girl would reject him.

"Why not?" he demanded.

_Do I need to fucking explain myself?_

"I don't _want_ to go to homecoming with you. I thought that was real clear," I said. I didn't know if I was supposed to be irritated or shocked by his persistence.

But thankfully, the bell rang just then, and he returned to his seat. I sat down just as Mr Banner entered the room.

"Good morning, class!" he said brightly. "How was all of your day?"

There were mumbles of 'good' and 'horrible' throughout the room, as well as one shout of 'terrific' from Tyler. He was an annoying jock as well, on the same level as Mike.

Not to be offensive, of course.

Mr Banner chuckled. "At least it's Thursday. You guys won't have school after tomorrow!"

"But then we have to come back on Monday!" a girl in the front groaned. I rolled my eyes. Thank god Rosalie wasn't in this class, or she would've snapped back at Lauren immediately.

Just then, the door to the classroom opened again, and I froze.

. . . Charlotte had been right. All the eyes in the classroom were on him as he walked up to Mr Banner.

"Sorry, Mr Banner," he said breathlessly. "I accidentally went to the wrong building . . . "

"You must be the new student!" Mr Banner turned to face the rest of the class. "Alright, guys. This is Edward Cullen, and he just moved here from . . . "

He turned to Edward. "Chicago, was it?" he whispered, and Edward nodded. "From Chicago!" Mr Banner repeated to the whole class.

Mr Banner looked around the room for a few seconds, and his eyes landed on me. Then he turned back to Edward and pointed me out. "You'll be sitting in the empty seat next to Isabella Swan. She'll be your lab partner for the rest of the year, got it?"

After Edward nodded, Mr Banner went back to his desk to load the PowerPoint he prepared for every class.

But I was still stuck on the fact that the new guy was sitting next to me.

And he was going to be my lab partner . . . for the rest of the year.

Holy.

Crap.

As he approached the empty seat next to me, one thought flashed crystal clear through my mind: _Freshman year drama club, please pay off._

I turned to him as he slid into the seat next to me and smiled.

He smiled back. "You're Isabella, right?"

_Oh god, his voice . . . Jessica was right too._

"Just Bella. Mr Banner doesn't like using nicknames," I said, mentally reprimanding myself for my thoughts.

He nodded, his smile growing a bit bigger. I noticed that it was just a little crooked, but cute. "Bella, then. I'm Edward." He paused, then looked at me sheepishly. "Which you probably know since Mr Banner just announced it," he added.

_Remember what you said to Charlotte! This boy is OFF-LIMITS__―_

"That's fine," I said, laughing. I thought Lauren was glaring at me, but I couldn't turn to check. "And besides, that's Mr Banner for you. Making students feel awkward since 1996."

"He's been here for ten years?" Edward asked, eyes wide. He glanced back to Mr Banner, who just about had the PowerPoint ready.

I frowned. "Probably more than that . . . everyone's almost positive that he was here since the school was built."

He laughed, and we turned our attention back to Mr Banner as he got up to start the presentation.

I was right. Lauren Mallory _was_ glaring at me.

**-:xoxo:-**

"So how was biology?!" Charlotte jumped into questioning me as soon as we met outside Peter's car. I groaned internally. Peter arrived a lot later than us since his last class was PE, and the gym was on the other side of campus from the parking lot.

I was stuck with Charlotte.

"It was . . . interesting."

Charlotte huffed. "You've gotta elaborate, Bells. I can't survive on just 'it was interesting' for the rest of the day!"

I raised an eyebrow and was about to shoot back with a witty retort when her eyes widened and she focused on something behind me.

I turned back toward the school building and saw Edward, who was with a group of other people, walking down the stairs.

Straight toward us.

"Hey, Bella!" he said as he got closer, waving.

I waved back, ignoring Charlotte's statue-still form right behind me. "Hey!"

He stopped when he reached Charlotte and me, and motioned for his friends to keep walking. "I just wanted to say thanks for not acting all awkward around me during bio," he said, running a hand through his hair.

_His. Hair. Oh my god._

I grinned. "I should be thanking _you_ for not acknowledging my awkward social skills."

I cursed the lack of filter on my thoughts. I did _not_ mean to say that out loud.

Thankfully, Edward just laughed. "I doubt they're that bad . . . "

"Trust me. They're terrible."

He looked at me thoughtfully for a few seconds. " . . . Maybe I could teach you, then," he said, smirking.

My eyes widened, and I blushed involuntarily.

_Don't even think that, Bella. Nope. Activate your thought filter. NOW._

"See you tomorrow, I guess!" Edward said, as if he hadn't said anything just a few seconds ago. I was gaping after him as he jogged to catch up with his friends.

I unfroze only once he was out of sight, and I turned to see Charlotte still frozen next to me. She was leaning against the car as she stared at the spot where they disappeared. "What. The. Fucking. Hell."

Suddenly, she grinned and turned to me. "So you and Cullen, huh? And I thought you'd give it a little more time. A day, at least."

I glared at her. "It's not like that!"

"Mmhm," she said mockingly, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously, Char!"

"Why so defensive?"

"You know what?" I huffed. "Just . . . fuck off, would you?" She started laughing. "I swear to god, Charlotte . . . "

And that's how Peter found us two minutes later: Charlotte sitting on the trunk, laughing her ass off, while I glared at her.

* * *

Was I the only one who had trouble logging into FanFiction till today? Because it was always just like: _503 Service Unavailable. No server is available to handle this request._ But I'm pretty sure they were updating the site, because it's all a bit redesigned . . .

Happy Early Thanksgiving!


	4. 3: 2013 - Alice

Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

**APRIL 5, 2013**

I know I'm impatient, but usually I have at least some semblance of control and calmness. Today, though, I'm anxiously tapping my foot as I wait for Jasper to show up at the park.

I texted him just a few minutes ago, so technically I can't blame him for not being here yet. But in all honestly, I just _had_ to get out of the house, since Mom seems to be having random flashback episodes every time she looks at me. She just freezes up in the middle of whatever she's doing, and Dad even had to step in once since she was using the blender.

_That would've made a mess_, I think as I slowly swing back and forth on the swing set.

And then there's still the fact that they took away my car. I'm pretty sure my parents can tell that I'm pissed, so they just stayed out of my way when I stormed out of the house. A part of me knows that I'm probably overreacting, but that rational voice is constantly being overshadowed by my dominant, impulsive, teenage voice.

I jump out of the swing seat, narrowly avoiding it when it swings back down, when I see a familiar car turn into the parking lot of the park.

Jasper drives his dad's car, since he knows he isn't really responsible enough to handle his own. At least with his dad's car, he can drive around knowing that the car is insured.

He walks to where I'm waiting by the swing set. "Hey, Ali," he says, placing a light kiss on my cheek. "So what did you have to tell me?"

I sigh. "Well . . . it's a long story. Kind of. I think." I take a few steps back and sit back on the swing.

Jasper raises an eyebrow and sits down on the small platform a few feet away. "Alright then . . . might as well start."

So I do. I tell him about how I got my car taken away, and even about how my parents were really weird about the whole car thing before he and I went to dinner. I also tell him about the weird flashback things my mom seems to be having, and he nods slowly, thinking.

"Maybe she's just remembering stuff . . . "

"That's what a flashback is, Jazz."

"No, I mean _serious_ stuff. You said that they were acting strange when they were giving you the car, right? Like when they were telling you the 'rules'?"

"Yeah . . . "

"So she's probably remembering something about that. Do you think Emmett did something stupid when he got his car?"

"Well, he's Emmett, so . . . " I laugh. "Probably."

Jasper chuckles, shaking his head. "Thank god he has Rose to keep him in check now."

I nod, agreeing. "And Masen. He would do anything for that kid."

"Including robbing the ice cream truck?"

"Shhh!" I look around quickly to make sure no one is listening to us, all the while trying to hold in my giggles. "No one knows about that but us and you and Kate!"

Jasper laughs, the sound echoing through the empty park. I join him soon after.

As we quiet down, I remember the thing I had originally wanted to tell him. The reason I had texted him in the first place.

"Um, Jasper?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something else, too."

He nods, urging me to go on.

"So . . . you know about the attic, right?"

"Doesn't Emmett call it the 'Forbidden Fucking Attic' or something?" he asks with grin.

I smile. "Yeah, the one and only. And you know how no one's supposed to go in there? Because it's kind of forbidden?"

Jasper nods.

"Well, I went in there."

His mouth drops open, and he gapes at me. "You _what_?!"

"I went into the attic." I take a deep breath. "I really didn't want to talk to my parents, not after they just took my car away like that, so I locked my bedroom door from the inside to make it look like I was in there before I just ran into another random room at the end of the hall. I'd forgotten about the attic altogether in the rush of the moment . . . "

"So you hid in there, and let me guess . . . you explored it, didn't you?"

I give a wry smile. "You know me so well."

Jasper smiles. "So what did you find? Was it old and haunted like Emmett said it was?"

"You do know that he's never been in there to this day, right?" I point out, and then shake my head. "But no, it wasn't like that. Yeah, it was kind of dusty and there were a few cobwebs . . . " I shudder a little. "But it was actually pretty neat. And there was a grand piano in there, covered by a sheet!"

"Do your parents play the piano?" Jasper asks.

I shake my head. "They used to, when they were younger, apparently. But they stopped for some reason, and haven't played since. So I have no idea when they bought the piano, or even _why_."

Jaspers starts to say something, but I quickly cut him off when I realize what I forgot to mention. "Wait, Jazz, I almost forgot! There were these boxes surrounding the piano, and I opened one of them. It was full of letters," I say.

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Letters? Like the alphabet?"

I smack my hand to my forehead, understanding for a fleeting second what my parents always mean when they say the new generation is being corrupted by technology. "No, I mean actual letters, which you address to people and they receive them in the mail!"

"Oh, okay, got it." He smiles sheepishly. "But what's so exciting about a box of letters?"

"The two people who wrote them to each other are named Edward and Bella . . . Edward _Cullen_ and Bella _Swan_."

Jasper freezes, and it seems like he doesn't know what to say for a few seconds. When he speaks again, it's with a voice full of disbelief. "Chief Swan has a daughter? And I didn't know there was an Edward in your family . . . "

"That's just the thing!" I bite my lip. "Chief Swan _doesn't_ have a daughter, and there _is_ no Edward in my family!"

Jasper is about to reply, but pauses when a group of middle schoolers passes by. I recognize Jane, the head cheerleader, and her two sidekicks, Bree and Irina. "You know what? How about we head back to your house, and maybe sneak back up to the attic?"

Jane is Queen Bitch of Forks Middle School, and gossip spreads around the town through her and her posse of Bitchy Wannabes. But this information about what is in my attic is important, and something that could _not _leak out, so I don't think twice before agreeing.

"Yeah, let's do that."

**-:xoxo:-**

"Jasper and I are here!" I shout out as soon as we step through the door.

"Hello, Jasper," Dad says as he comes out of the living room.

"Good evening, Mr Cullen," Jasper replies respectfully.

Dad frowns. "Jasper, I've been telling you for a while now, call me Carlisle."

"Alright, Mr Cullen."

I laugh, and so does Dad. "Anyways," I say, "Jasper and I are going upstairs."

"What are you guys gonna be doing?" Dad asks, raising an eyebrow.

I huff. "Nothing stupid, Dad," I say before Jasper can say something like 'homework'.

Dad laughs. "Don't worry, I know that you're a good kid, Jasper. I was just messing with you two."

Jasper laughs awkwardly, trying to laugh with Dad, but I just glare at him, still not over the fact that he supported Mom on her decision to take away my car. "Yeah, whatever. We're going up now."

I grab Jasper's hand and drag him upstairs, ignoring the gaze of my dad on my back.

**-:xoxo:-**

"Ready?"

Jasper nods.

We quietly step out of my room, and I once again lock it from the inside. I lead the way toward the attic, and while Jasper checks the staircase to make sure my parents aren't near it, I push the door open. I cringe when it gave a little creak; I'll have to oil the hinges later.

Jasper is at my side in a second, and I motion for him to go in ahead of me. I follow him inside, shutting the door softly.

"Wow," Jasper breathes out. "You're right; this place is pretty amazing." His gaze lands on the massive object that's covered by the sheet. "Is that the piano?"

I nod. "Yeah. Come on, let's go closer."

We start toward the piano, and Jasper takes into account all the boxes surrounding it. "These boxes . . . did you move them like this?"

I frown. "No, they were like that. Weird, isn't it, how they're in like a circle around the piano?"

Jasper nods, and moves a few boxes around so that it wasn't as hazardous to get to the piano. "It's almost like someone arranged them like this on purpose." He grunts while moving one of the boxes over. "This one's pretty heavy," he comments.

I head over to the box I had opened yesterday. "This is the box that I told you about. The one with the letters in it."

I hear Jasper come up behind me, and he takes a seat across from me on the other side of the box.

He meets my eyes. "Open it?"

I nod. "Let's open it?"

I lift one of the flaps open while he opens the other flap, and he raises an eyebrow at the amount of letters that are in the box.

"Wow, these guys are pretty old-fashioned," Jasper says. He takes one of the letters out and opens it.

Digging to the middle of the box, I take one out as well, and start reading.

_Bella,_

_Are you sure you want to help out during Christmas? I remember you mentioning that you and your dad usually go somewhere . . . I'm sorry about Rosalie, again. I know you don't want me to apologize (and I know Rosalie wouldn't, either, since she's Rosalie) but I still don't think Rosalie had the right to just sign all of us up for the volunteering thing. Especially since it'll be over the break._

_And if you still want to write like this even though you got your phone back, I'm not complaining :P But I wonder if your dad's getting suspicious by how obsessively you seem to be watching the mailbox . . . _

_Edward_

I smile. This Edward reminds me of Emmett―Emmett doesn't use 'dear' when addressing letters either, nor does he have any kind of 'love' or 'sincerely' at the end. Bella on the other hand seems to be a more formal, traditional letter-writer. If that's even a word.

"Hey . . . Alice . . . ?"

I look up. Jasper's holding up the envelope of the letter he read.

"These letters are from seven years ago."

My eyes widen, and I look at date on the envelope of the letter I'm holding.

_5 November 2006_

I gasp. "What the hell?"

Jasper looks at me. "Why are there letters from seven years ago in your attic?"

"I have no idea! I didn't even notice that," I say, still in disbelief at the fact that these letters are that old. Then again, I shouldn't have expected them to be new; who writes letters nowadays?

Suddenly remembering the letter I read before, I glance at the top of the box and breathe a sigh of relief when I see the familiar light pink envelope. I read the date.

_17 December 2006_

This was written a little more than a week before Christmas.

"Jasper?" He glances at me. "How old do you think these people are?"

"They're teenagers," Jasper quickly replies. I look at him questioningly, and he holds up his letter. "This one talks about how Edward's sophomore graduation ceremony in Chicago was different than the sophomore one Bella described took place in Forks the year before."

I remember what she's talking about. The one in Forks is a small one, since people just wanted there to be ceremonies for freshman, sophomores, and juniors as well as the obvious, grand graduation ceremony for the seniors. It was just so that there was an opportunity to gather.

I didn't know they did that in other places too.

"Wait a minute," I say, "That means they were juniors when they wrote these letters. Since they're talking about sophomore graduation the year before."

Jasper nods. "It's so weird . . . to be reading letters written by people our age but in a different time period."

I laugh. "It's not even a decade ago."

"Same thing."

"Right."

* * *

What do you guys think of this chapter? Next update will be sometime next week or over the weekend . . .

And thank you so much to everyone who reviewed to the last chapter. You guys just make my day: VanessaJJ, Doclover, Guest, Blue Girl98, Kalypso146, Guest, Sonia Raziella


	5. 4: 2006 - Bella & Edward

Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

**Happy New Year from California! I hope everyone's year is filled with happiness, fun, and success in whatever you wish!**

I'm really sorry about how late this is . . . **I didn't forget about this story at all**. The entire week before break, I had this testing thing in history where we're tested on every chapter we've covered so far every day as preparation for finals . . . it was brutal. And then I had this surprise trip to Hawaii with my family the first week of break, so I couldn't exactly get to this. (Did you know that I had 4G LTE and five bars of service in the middle of the ocean, but not in my hotel room?)

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

**OCTOBER 27, 2006**

_Bella_

"Good morning," Mr Larson said, looking up, as I walked in. "How are you doing, Bella?"

"I'm doing well, thanks! You?"

"Fine, thank you." He looked back to his papers.

Asking us how we were had become a sort of grammar test, and there were still people that said 'I'm doing good'.

But no one really took it too seriously, because Mr Larson was a pretty cool teacher. He was relatively new compared to the other teachers here, since he only joined the staff last year, but at least the older teachers hadn't corrupted him yet, or so we students always said. He still showed movies in class that related to the material we were on, and sometimes before the bell rang he'd show funny YouTube videos to the class.

I particularly liked the Key and Peele videos.

"Hey! Bella!"

My head snapped up, and I smiled when I saw that Lianna was here already. I was usually the first one here, but sometimes she beat me to class. Jessica, although she was also in first period English, would much rather hang out in the parking lot or cafeteria with her now homecoming date, Mike.

I had decided against telling Jessica that Mike had asked me, and probably a few other girls, before he asked her.

"Hi, Lianna," I said, taking a seat next to her. That was another good thing about Mr Larson: he didn't care where we sat.

"So how's life?" she asked, turning in her seat to face me fully.

I sighed. "Good, I guess. You?" I paused, suddenly remembering something. "You were sick yesterday, right? Are you feeling better?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, it was just a cold, but my parents were freaking out 'cause I was coughing like hell."

I nodded, and she continued, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Charlotte told me some things, though, when she called."

I raised my eyebrows. "What kinds of things?"

"Oh, just some stuff about . . . well . . . " She leaned forward when a few students entered the class, making sure they couldn't hear. "Who's this Edward Cullen she was talking about?"

My eyes widened and I felt my face get hot. "He's a new friend I made," I said slowly.

Lianna grinned. "Really? Just a friend, huh? Charlotte didn't make it sound like he was _just _a _friend_ . . . "

"Well, that's exactly what he is," I said, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back in my chair. She smirked. "Really! Why are you and Charlotte being so difficult?"

Just then, the classroom door opened, and a large group of students walked in. I glanced at the clock, and realized that class was going to start in about a minute.

"Maybe it's because me and Charlotte are smart and know what we're seeing," Lianna whispered just as the bell rang.

I wasn't able to make a witty comeback, after all.

Mr Larson got up from behind his desk, now that the class was all seated, and quickly counted how many people were in the room. "31, 32, 33 . . . 34. Everyone's here, so let's get started."

The class started to take out English notebooks, but Mr Larson quickly stopped us. "Don't bother with the notebooks. This is short day, I know, because of the rally, so I'll be explaining a new project to you guys."

"What kind of project?" Jessica asked.

"Hopefully not another essay 'cause we just finished Romeo and Juliet," Andy Johnson said, frowning. The class laughed.

So did Mr Larson. "Oh no, don't worry," he said, chuckling. I noticed how there was a small sparkle in his eyes, and he looked more lively than usual. "It's not another essay. It's a lot better."

" . . . So . . . what is it?" This time it was Allyson Chang that voiced a question.

Mr Larson clapped his hands together. "You guys are going to act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet!"

A few people groaned, but honestly, the fact that it wasn't an essay had us all excited. I was actually smiling.

"Yes!" Lianna muttered under her breath.

"It can be any scene of your choice, but you have to pick from my list of approved scenes," Mr Larson added.

Jessica cut him off. "Why can't we do any scene?"

"Because last year kids chose scenes where one character had ten lines while another had fifty, and it just wasn't fair," he explained. When Jessica nodded, understanding, he continued. "You can get into groups of two or three, and then I'll be pairing you with another group of two or three from my other English class."

Cheers were heard throughout the class. I just looked to Lianna, and our eyes met; we were going to work together.

"I don't know anyone in your third period," Andy said bluntly once the talking died down. I couldn't hold back my laugh, since that was exactly what I was thinking.

Mr Larson smiled and walked back to his desk. "I _knew _someone was going to say that, so I printed a few copies of the class roster . . . here it is."

He handed a copy to Andy, and then handed them to a few other people around the class so that we could get a look at whom we might work with.

A minute later, Allyson turned back and handed me the paper. Lianna leaned over to look at it with me.

"Damn, Lauren's in that class . . . " Lianna said with distaste.

"Unfortunately," I mumbled. I remembered how she had been glaring at me in biology yesterday.

Suddenly, Lianna snatched the list out of my hand.

"What the hell?"

Lianna slowly met my eyes, grinning wickedly. "Look who else is in this class, Bella," she said, shoving the paper in my face.

I quickly scanned the paper, and when I couldn't see what she had seen after a few seconds, she pointed at the name impatiently with her finger.

I gasped.

_Edward Cullen_

**-:xoxo:-**

We had all gotten into our own groups. I was with Lianna and Allyson in Group 3. Now we were waiting to get paired up with a group from the other class since apparently, they were so well behaved that they had time to get into their groups yesterday.

"Alright . . . so here's the list of groups in third period. Whatever group number you are, that's the group number you're paired with. Got it?" Mr Larson stuck the sheet of paper to the door just as the bell rang. "You're dismissed!" he shouted over the noise of the class. Everyone was scrambling toward the door, including Allyson.

"I got this," Lianna said, and shooting me a smile, she shoved her way past the other students until she got to the door. After a few seconds, she rushed back, tripping over a few backpacks.

"You won't believe this," she said, breathless. She stopped talking for a second and poked her side. "And remind me to punch Alex at lunch. I think she bruised my fucking ribs."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Sure, definitely, but what won't I believe? Who else is in our group?"

Lianna grinned. "Riley Biers, Xanthe Adams, and . . . "

I grew impatient. "And who?"

"Who do you think?" she asked sarcastically, but the smile on her face showed that she wasn't annoyed. Rather, she seemed more amused than anything. And that's also how I immediately figured out who else was in our group.

**-:xoxo:-**

_Edward_

Moving to Forks couldn't be this easy. Moving itself shouldn't be easy, but to _Forks_?

It should've been fucking impossible.

"Hey, Edward, you okay?"

I glanced up and saw Emmett looking at me weird. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Emmett sighed. "You know, Edward, I know it wasn't exactly your choice to move here, but if you need to rant about it to someone then―"

"Emmett, I said I'm fine!" I groaned, exasperated. Immediately, I wished I could take back what I'd just said. He was only trying to make me feel more comfortable, despite the fact that we had never been in the same household for more than a week at a time in over ten years.

"Okay, I got it," Emmett chuckled. "I'll leave you alone. But I'm always here if you gotta talk, yell, or just fight. But I wouldn't recommend fighting, 'cause I don't know how easily you'd break―"

"I won't break, Em. And thanks . . . I guess." I grinned, hopefully making up for the brusqueness earlier.

"Anytime, younger brother," he said, grinning back, before he grabbed me in a headlock and ruffled my hair. Just then, the bell rang.

"Dammit, Emmett, I'm gonna be late now!" I struggled to push him away, and when he laughed and finally let me go, I started sprinting toward the other end of the hall.

"Just use the 'I got lost' excuse! You're still new!" Emmett shouted, still laughing. I didn't even have time to flip him off as I slowed to a stop and stepped inside Mr Larson's room.

Thankfully, Mr Larson didn't even seem to have noticed anyone yet, since he still had his head bent over his desk. I quickly took a seat beside a girl with blonde hair. I think she said her name was Annika when she introduced herself yesterday.

"Alright . . . " Mr Larson started. He stood up, holding a sheet of paper. "This morning my first period got into groups for the Romeo and Juliet project. Everyone knows what I'm talking about, right?"

Seeing our expressionless faces, he continued. "Good. Your group is paired with the group of the same number in my other class, so if you're in Group 1, you're paired with the Group 1 in my first period. Got it?"

As usual, there was no response from the class. "You expect me to read your minds or something," he muttered, before he started reading off the list of names for Group 1.

"I bet you five bucks we're paired with that Stanley girl."

I looked up, just realizing that Riley was sitting in front of me, with his girlfriend Xanthe beside him. I smirked, remembering how Jessica had been . . . well, staring at me throughout the entire class we shared. It had been pretty uncomfortable. "She would've switched groups if she knew how we were going to be paired."

He grinned. "Exactly. Get your money ready," he said as Mr Larson started the names for Group 2.

"Group 2―meaning Tyler, Mike, and Jonathan―you're with Amanda Kent, Lauren Mallory, and Jessica Stanley."

"Dammit," Tyler said, probably not as quietly as he had hoped. "That's my ex!"

Mr Larson heard him, despite the laughter that rang out at his comment. "Moving on . . . " he said, shooting Tyler an odd look, "Group 3. Edward, Riley, and Xanthe. You're with Allyson Chang, Lianna Ibarra, and Isabella Swan. Okay?"

Riley nodded, while I just stared right past Mr Larson, not focused on anything in particular and completely tuning out the rest of the groups.

_I was paired with Bella._

I wasn't complaining, but it wasn't like I . . . _liked_ her or anything. I mean, we had just met. Yet, it was nice to see someone who wasn't completely fake, for a change.

I suppose you could say I was popular in my old schools in Chicago . . . but it wasn't a good feeling. I was easily able to tell that they weren't paying attention to any form of conversation we were having, that all they wanted was the attention that apparently came by merely talking to me.

But Bella? I could tell that she was being completely natural. Our conversation―even though it wasn't that long―had flowed effortlessly, and was completely different from the awkward conversation with, say, Jessica earlier that day. And there was this other girl . . . Carlotta, maybe? I didn't quite remember her name, but she was a year older, which is why she seemed a lot more mature. Although the conversation with her wasn't that uncomfortable, I hadn't been completely at ease.

Bella was different.

"I guess I owe you five bucks now, don't I?" Riley said, interrupting my thoughts.

I laughed. "Technically, I never even agreed to the bet. Don't worry about the money," I said. "Besides, I thought we should be celebrating."

Xanthe laughed, turning around in her chair to face Riley and me. "Yeah, you don't want to be in a group with that bitch," she said. "Annoying as fuck."

"Right. I'll keep that in mind," I said. Xanthe smiled. It had taken me a bit to get used to her . . . bluntness, but once you get over it and she stops being cold and emotionless toward you, she was the kind of person you'd want to have backing you up.

Mr Larson, realizing that the class was breaking off into the groups, called everyone's attention back. "Wait! Since this is going to be a pretty large project―you will be performing in the auditorium―I'm going to have to ask you guys to meet out of school and even during lunch if possible."

"Hold up," Mike said. "We're performing in the auditorium? In front of who?"

"Why, the entire school, of course."

People started complaining instantly. I raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell is the entire school necessary?" I muttered.

Mr Larson, unfortunately, heard.

"Well, Mr Cullen, it's because they will be the judges of your performance, and therefore their reactions will determine your grade," Mr Larson said, walking back to his desk.

A few groans were heard around the room. "Damn," Riley whispered. "I wonder if he told his other class that."

"So do we meet with our group during lunch, like, _today_?" asked Xanthe, leaning forward in her seat.

Mr Larson looked at the clock thoughtfully. There was only a minute left before the bell would ring for lunch. "Yes, if you can, that would be great. Remember, you'll need costumes, props, music . . . all that good stuff. Not to mention you'll need to memorize your lines. Got it?"

There were a few murmurs of assent, though most people were already discussing how they were going to take on this project.

Mr Larson sighed. "Well, that's the best response I can ask for from this class," he said, before taking out a few papers to grade.

A few seconds later, the bell rang.

"Well . . . " I started, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

Xanthe stood up, picking up her bag. "Time to meet our group."

* * *

What scene do you think Group 3 will pick? What scene do you want it to be? And some people will be visiting the Cullen family in the next chapter for Alice's birthday . . . people we know very well (at least two of them). Who do you think?

Hint: There are three people visiting.

Hint 2: They're Cullens as well.

Thank you to everyone who made me smile with their reviews to the last chapter: Azucena17, Blue Girl98, VanessaJJ, renesmee. carlie. cullen1313, Guest, Guest, LOL, Kalypso146, TexasTwilight77, Guest, Sonia Raziella, snowystar2


	6. 5: 2013 - Alice

Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

**A/N: **I kind of realized after rereading Chapter 3 that I made a typo . . . Alice wasn't supposed to refer to Rosalie as "Rosalie" in the park with Jasper; she was supposed to say "Rose".** [It's been fixed now, so this A/N will disappear soon.]**

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**CHAPTER 5**

**APRIL 6, 2013**

"Are they here yet?"

"No, Alice . . . "

"How much longer?"

Dad sighed. "Alice, when you asked five minutes ago, I said—"

"You said five more minutes."

"Did I?" Dad asks, and I huff, not in the mood to laugh about this. It's been so long since I last saw them!

"Dad, seriously, can he's not even answering his phone."

"Well, that's Emmett for you," Mom says, coming down the stairs.

It had taken me less time to get dressed, which was a surprise since I'm usually more into dressing up. But I'd thought that they would be coming about an hour ago, only to hear that the heavy rain from yesterday had postponed their flight.

Of course, even though Rose called to let Mom and Dad know, they didn't tell me about it.

But then again, I didn't really give them a chance, what with the locking myself in my room and sneaking into the attic with Jasper.

Just then, the doorbell rings.

"I got it!" I say, sprinting to the door.

I look through the peephole and grin when I see that they're here.

"Who is it?" I shout out, knowing that Emmett would be able to hear me through the door.

He grins. "I don't know, who do you think?"

I roll my eyes. He's gotten a lot calmer over the years, but he still has his sarcasm, at least. I open the door, a huge grin on my face.

"There's the little pixie! 17 years old at last!" He lifts me up easily, ruffling my hair.

"Happy belated birthday, Alice—Emmett, let her go," Rose says with a smile, coming up behind him. She's holding Masen by the hand.

"Oh! Put me down, I have to get something," I say, suddenly remembering that I had something for Masen.

I quickly run inside and open the hidden compartment I'd created a few weeks ago in the back of one of my drawers. It was easy, only requiring a few additional planks of wood to be added to make it seem like the "real" back of the drawer was a lot closer than it actually was. Sliding a part of the wood out of place, I pull out the small box of chocolates.

It wasn't necessary to keep the chocolates in there, since my parents wouldn't have cared, but I just wanted to use the compartment.

Mom let them in already, which I forgot to do, so they're in the living room by the time I get back.

"Hey, Masen!" I say, holding the box of chocolates behind me.

He turns to me, and I realize that his eyes had changed color from when I saw him a few months after he was born—everyone assumed he had gotten Rose's violet-blue eyes, but they were different now. I don't think much about it, but one thought passes through my mind: _no one in our family has green eyes_.

"Awice!" He runs up to me, throwing his arms around me in a hug. He notices how I only hug back with one arm. "What's in your other hand?"

Rose chuckles.

I have to remember that Masen is pretty bright. Next time, his small gift will arrive by parachute while they're still standing on the patio.

_Good luck with that, Alice._

I smile. "Well, remember how you wanted chocolate after watching that SpongeBob episode?"

He grins and nods, remembering. He spent all week randomly screaming "CHOOCOLAAATTEE!" at the top of his lungs. I couldn't decide at the time if it was cute, funny, or irritating.

Probably all three.

"Here's some chocolate!" I say, handing him the box.

His eyes go wide and he reaches for the box disbelievingly. For a few seconds, he doesn't move.

_Oh my god, I broke Masen._

But then, he looks at me with a spark in his eyes.

"CHOCOLAAAAAAATTE!" he screams, running down the hall while waving the box over his head.

Everyone laughs, although Rose says, "Was that chocolate necessary, Alice? He's already hyper enough." But she's smiling too.

**-:xoxo:-**

We just finished dinner, and everyone is in a different part of the house doing their own thing: Dad is trying to teach Masen how to play the piano, since he asked, and Rose and Mom are poring over new home design and fashion magazines. I'm in the living room, flipping through the channels on the TV in boredom, when Emmett walks in.

"So how's school, Alice?" Emmett asks, plopping down on the couch across from me.

I turn off the TV and face him, glad to be doing _something_. "Pretty good . . . how's life?"

"It's all good."

A comfortable silence takes over the room, only to be interrupted by the occasional wrong notes on the piano.

Emmett seems preoccupied, and I catch him staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking. He seems . . . well, sad actually.

_Why does everyone seem like that? First Mom and Dad, now Emmett? What is it with us Cullens?_

_Wait . . . Cullen. Edward Cullen! Maybe I should ask . . . _

I turn to face him, about to say something, when he asks another question.

"Did you get your car?" he asks, grinning.

Whatever I was going to say is forgotten momentarily, and I frown. "Yeah, just to have it taken back a few hours later."

He raises an eyebrow, although his grin falters a little. "What did you do?" he asks jokingly.

"I came back an hour after curfew," I say, letting my annoyance show in my voice. "They didn't even give me a chance to explain! They just took my keys away and said I couldn't drive it anymore!"

Any worry that was on his face disappears at that. "And they took away your keys?" he asks incredulously, laughing. "Man, Alice. You get in more trouble than me."

I huff. "Well you know what—"

"I, _Emmett Cullen_ of all people, never even got my car taken away like that," he says, still laughing.

I raise my eyebrows. "Really? Really, Emmett?"

He stops laughing so hard, but is still smiling. "Really. They just returned my car to the dealer, saying he should put it on hold for about another year since I wasn't 'mature' enough." He waves it off like it's no big deal.

I roll my eyes. "That's much worse than _me_, smartass."

"Tomayto, tomahto, Ali."

"Right." I pause, remembering what I was going to ask him about.

_How should I put this . . . _

_Well, you see, Emmett, I kind of snuck into the attic when I wasn't supposed to, and found about these people named Edward and Bella. Have you heard of them before?_

_Too direct._

_So, Emmett, what do you think about the name Edward? I think it's a pretty classic name_—

_Nope._

_You can make this easy on yourself, or you can make it difficult. What do you know about Edward Cullen?_

_Umm . . . no fucking way, Alice._

"Hey, Emmett?" My voice comes about an octave higher, and I cough to clear my throat.

He turns to me again, seeming curious and confused about my change in tone. "Yeah?"

"I was kind of wondering if you—"

"ROSALIE LILLIAN CULLEN!"

Mom's high-pitched shriek and Rose's laughter stop me midsentence.

Hold up.

Rosalie?

'_I'm sorry about Rosalie, again. I know you don't want me to apologize (and I know Rosalie wouldn't, either, since she's Rosalie) but I still don't think Rosalie had the right to just sign all of us up for the volunteering thing.'_

Holy. Shit.

"If I what, Alice?"

I remember that Emmett is still here, and now he seems a little worried. I must be pale as fuck.

"If you . . . " _Think, Alice!_ "If you went to the same school I'm in. Forks High School?"

Emmett nods, giving me a that's-kind-of-obvious look. "Well . . . duh, of course I did. I grew up here."

"And you met Rose in high school, fell in love, and got married. Right?"

He gets a little suspicious, and I curse myself for being too direct. "Where are you going with all of this, Alice?"

I shake my head, my thoughts racing a million miles an hour.

Thankfully, before he can go into overprotective-brother mode on me, Rose—or should I say Rosalie?—comes running down the stairs, Mom chasing her down. Mom seems to be warring between being furious or amused, and Rose seems to be on the edge of hysterics.

"I will _not_ forget this, Rosalie Cullen!" Mom shouts again, although it isn't as forceful as she probably meant for it to be because she is smiling. I vaguely realize that she's throwing pillows from the couch at Rose.

"I'm sorry, Esme!" Rose ducks, dodging another pillow. "I didn't know you designed that!"

Mom pauses. "So if you did, you would've answered differently?" Her eyes narrow. "So is everything you've been telling me a lie?"

Rose's eyes widen, and the only reason I know my mom isn't serious is because she breaks into a fit of laughter. "You are so dead, Rose," she manages to choke out.

I turn away from the scene to gather my thoughts.

I've always grown up calling Rose as, well, 'Rose', since that's how she introduced herself. I'm sure I've heard Mom and Dad call her that sometimes, as well as some other family friends, but I don't think I've ever really connected that as being her real name.

Of course, if you'd asked me that, I would've figured it out—hopefully—but it isn't until now that I'm starting to see just how stupid I am.

_Fucking hell, Alice, you're losing it. You should've seen this when you read that letter the first fucking time!_

Rose and Emmett had gone to this high school, which I already knew. But Edward and Bella had also gone to this high school, and Edward mentioned Rose in the letter . . .

Emmett and Rose know who Edward and Bella are.

. . . I've got to tell Jasper.

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Well . . . I really like reviews. Just kidding, it's more listening to your thoughts that I like. What did you think of this?

How long do you think the rest of the Cullens (other than Alice, of course) will be able to keep up this charade of 'Who the fuck is Edward Cullen?'

And who do you think will be the first to figure out that Alice knows? Of course, it's not like she knows the whole story yet . . . and she may not really like the whole story.

**DUN DUN DUN**

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed: Guest, KatyCullen, Kalypso146, Doclover, renesmee. carlie. cullen1313, charmedeva, Blue Girl98, MEGAN, Guest


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